Fiber has many wonderful characteristics! Fiber can lower blood sugar, cut cholesterol and may even help prevent colon cancer. But few people are getting enough! Women should get about 25 grams each day, and men at least 35-40 grams. However, the average person only gets about 15 grams per day.
Many people rely on whole grains and salads to provide their daily fiber intake, which is definitely a good start. But, lettuce alone isn’t enough. In fact, iceberg lettuce only has about 0.5g per cup! Try adding some artichokes, which provide about 10.3g, or avocado, which provide 6.7g per half, to your salad. Additionally, adding beans to your meals also helps increase your fiber intake. One cup of white beans is about 12g of fiber, while one cup of black beans is about 15g.
If you’d rather get your fiber from a dessert, try black bean brownies. It may sound odd, but you can’t taste the beans, and the brownies contain more than 22g of fiber total.
You can also try incorporating flaxseed into your diet, by adding this to your oatmeal, smoothies or yogurt. A two-tablespoon serving of flaxseed contains 3.8g of fiber, and also gives you a dose of omega-3 fatty acids! Chia seeds offer 5.5g of fiber per tablespoon and are great for thickening smoothies or puddings, and for replacing eggs in most baked good recipies!
Some other high fiber foods include corn (2g per ear), brown rice (3.5g per cup), lentils (15.6g per cup), pears (skin intact, 5.5g per pear), and broccoli (5g per cup).
Eating your recommended daily amount of fiber can be fun! Push the limits and try some new fiber filled recipes! Your colon will thank you!